NCGA APPLAUDS TRUMP FOR PRIORITIZING INFRASTRUCTURE

JUNE 2017

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(Posted Wed. Jun 7th, 2017)

The National Corn Growers Association applauded President Trump’s pledge today to make rebuilding America’s infrastructure a national priority and committed to work with his Administration on the issue.

“It's time to recapture our legacy as a nation of builders, and to create new lanes of travel, commerce, and discovery,” President Trump said at a speech in Cincinnati on the backdrop of the Ohio River.

Ken Hartman, chair of the NCGA Market Access Team, thanked the President for calling attention to infrastructure issues.

“Farmers rely on our national infrastructure every day to get our products to market quickly, safely, and efficiently. Waterways, roads, and bridges are central to farmers' efforts to feed and fuel the world, and we must invest in all of them,” said Hartman, a farmer from Waterloo, Illinois.

In his remarks, President Trump specifically called for upgrading the nation’s aging system of locks and dams—making him the first modern president to focus on this critical piece of the infrastructure puzzle.

“These critical corridors of commerce depend on a dilapidated system of locks and dams that is more than half a century old, and their condition… is in very, very bad shape. It continues to decay,” Trump said.

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. grain exports are transported to port via the U.S. river system, but most of the nation’s locks and dams have outlived their intended 50-year lifespans. Breakdowns in the river infrastructure add to transport costs, some of which are passed on to farmers. Meanwhile, rural areas rely disproportionately on federal funding for infrastructure projects, underscoring the need for robust federal investment.

“We especially appreciate the President's interest in inland waterways and in the unique infrastructure challenges facing rural areas,” said Hartman. “We look forward to working with the Trump Administration to invest in our nation's waterways, roads, and bridges, and we thank the President for making this issue a top priority.”